The nutritional benefits of cherries are pretty big, particularly when you consider their small size. Many of the health benefits of cherries are related to the natural chemical that gives them their color.

Anthocyanins give flowers, berries and other fruits the colors ranging from red to blue. Some of the best food sources of anthocyanins are red grapes, chokeberry, eggplant and, of course, cherries.

These pigments attract pollinators, act as a “sunscreen” and protect the plant from radicals formed by UV light, so they act as antioxidants. The antioxidant benefits are transferred to people when the fruits or vegetables are eaten.

Health Benefits of Cherries

The health benefits of cherries and other plant foods containing anthocyanins are many. Anthocyanins are used by the body to produce essential amino acids. As antioxidants, they protect the cells of the body from the damaging, aging and disease producing affects of oxygen, nitrogen and UV radiation.

Anthocyanins are also natural pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. They inhibit the production of COX-2 enzymes, as do over the counter and prescription pain relievers. Natural anti-inflammatories are believed to reduce the risk of many types of cancer. But, there are more nutritional benefits of cherries.

Cherries contain melatonin, another natural pain reliever and COX-2 inhibitor. Melatonin also helps to regulate sleep cycles and has been sold as a natural sleep aid. Reduced levels of melatonin have been associated with heart disease and increased cancer rates in night workers. The human body naturally produces melatonin, but primarily in darkness.

Constant artificial lighting present in most homes and work places reduces the amount of melatonin that the body produces. So, one of the health benefits of cherries to modern day man has to do with replacing some of the melatonin that has been lost to artificial light, unhealthy work schedules and unnatural sleep patterns. And, there are more nutritional benefits of cherries.

Cherries, like most fruits, contain vitamin C. The proven and suspected health benefits of cherries and other vitamin C rich foods are too numerous to be covered in this short article. One of the most exciting and newest discoveries has to do with cancer treatment. In both clinical trials and test tubes, vitamin C has been shown to kill cancer cells and inhibit their replication.

Cherries also contain fiber, which is important for a healthy digestive system. Diets high in fiber are believed to reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer and most other diseases involving the digestive tract.

One of the most recent studies related to the nutritional benefits of cherries had to do with unhealthy cholesterol levels. A group of men with high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels were recruited to participate in this study.

The men were given whole food supplements containing cherries and other fruits. After 4 weeks, total and LDL cholesterol (known as “bad cholesterol”) levels were significantly lowered, while HDL (good) cholesterol levels were increased. There were no changes in cholesterol levels in control groups, given a placebo.

In all, the health benefits of cherries and other fruits cover most of the systems of the human body. The healthy function of the digestive system, the immune system and the cardiovascular system are all linked to a healthy diet.

Cherries are one of the first fruits to ripen, but have one of the shortest growing seasons.

Whole food supplements, like the popular Juice Plus+®, are an option for people who want to obtain the nutritional benefits of cherries, whether they are in season or not. These supplements contain not only cherries, but other fruits, vegetables and grains that are vital for better human health.

Russell Cantwell is editor of http://www.whole-food-supplements-guide.com/ Visit us now to learn more about the Nutritional Benefits of Cherries and to discover whole food supplements that contains them.

First, imagine that time is relative to each individual. Time begins from the moment a person realizes it exists until the instant of their death. Next, imagine that the same person cannot move in any direction upon this time but forward. A way to imagine time as being relative is to visualize it in these next few terms. As the old saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” This is, perhaps, because the individual in question is not paying attention to the passage of that time. Their attention is upon other tasks at hand and therefore their time seems to slip from them because they do not note it. It has no importance at that moment, hence the slipping. The opposite is true when one is asked to do a task that they begrudge. The individual at that moment is keeping track of the time because their mind is not occupied by anything else to distract them from the passage of that time. Therefore, time is relative due to each individuals perception of it.

Next comes how well an individual is able to grasp that perception of time. In all practicality, an individuals future rides upon the choices they make. Of course, there are rare instances in which an individuals, ‘fate’, is not determined by them, but by another. However, for the most part, it is an individual’s decisions that determine their future. Each and every small and insignificant movement, thought, or action compounds over time to vastly affect that individuals future events. For example, imagine that a man pounds that air with his fist, showing his enthusiasm at a basketball game. He is not normally the type to show his spirit, but he decides to anyway, being caught up and embarrassed by his fellow fans. A woman several rows up notices this gesture and sees the man for the first time. After the game she approaches the man and they begin a friendly conversation. A few months of dating pass and being enraptured by love, they decide to marry. Now it may seem like a fanciful story, but taking a direct look at it, one sees that none of it would have happened at all if that man had not pounded the air in his show of enthusiasm. Once again, this idea may seem unlikely, but if one chooses to look around, one sees that it can be these small, seemingly insignificant, decisions that mold an individuals future.

Now a question arises. If, hypothetically, it were possible for an individual to travel backward through time, and this individual somehow killed their mother through an accident; would that individual still exist? This is what is called a paradox, and has been discussed and thought over many times before. Questions begin to spring from thin air. If this individual killed their mother, then they would not exist. This means that they could not have killed their mother in the first place so they would still be alive, but then again: They have already killed their mother. The logic cycles and is never resolved through those lines of reasoning. However, a new thought arises. Returning to the man at the basket ball game, say that the same man does not show his enthusiasm. Later, somehow, he sees what his life would have been like if he had done so. At this time, it is possible for the man to travel through time. He decides to go back in time to convince himself to show that enthusiasm. Here, is met another paradox. Can people meet themselves? Regardless of this, assume for the moment that the man did. Further assume that the man convinces his past self to show that enthusiasm. His past does so and the man decides to return to his future. When he does, he finds it exactly as he left it, including his life remaining the same as it ever had. What happened? The answer is simple. Returning to the reasoning given in the first paragraph, it is found that nothing whatsoever happened to the man in his future. Because time moves in a linear fashion, and is relative to each person, one cannot change the experiences that have already happened to that person. In this sense, time travel is not possible, essentially because the individual is not actually changing their past, but the life of a person that, for all respects, is exactly the same as the individual that ‘time traveled’. That person is the same until the moment they meet the individual from the ‘future’. From then on that mirror doppelganger leads a life entirely separate from the individual. In other words, these are two separate people.
This brings to light the idea of parallel universes. For all respects, time travel is not possible, but if it were, the individual would not move through time. That same individual would move through separate universes that are incredibly similar to each other. Go back to the example of the individual who kills their mother. Through the idea presented in this paper, the individual would still exist after the death because they did not kill their mother. They did, however, kill the parent of someone exactly the same as their own mother until that moment of death. Therefore, that universe is changed from that point on, but the individual’s own mother is still alive in their universe. Therefore, they still exist.

Another name for these multiple universes is parallel universes. Essentially, through the line of reasoning presented, individuals create their own universes by the decisions that they make. There is an infinite number of decisions an individual may make and, therefore, an infinite number of parallel universes corresponding from thus. As the individual progresses through their time, countless parallel universes are made. Therefore, individuals create their own universes, but a question remains; can other persons affect that individuals own universe? Perhaps, but it all depends upon how that individual reacts and responds to those other individuals actions.

Recall the old saying, “You’re only hurting yourself.” Through this theory, this saying rings true. Think about it, and take another example. An individual is placed in a position in which they have a life impacting decision to make. Either they can save a man’s life, or they can let him die. On one side, if they let the man die, although the man’s life is dramatically affected, the individual’s future may be influenced by feelings such as guilt, or anger. These feelings may cause the individual to poorly decide future decisions. This will, of course, cause the individual’s future to be vastly different than it would have been otherwise. Whereas, if the individual had saved the man form his imminent death, his future would be affected by that choice by an equally large scale. The man they saved may be grateful, and will possibly help the individual in some way. Regardless of what the individual chooses, their future is impacted by the decision that they do make.

In essence, the only thing that an individual knows exists, is the individual themselves. Returning to the example of the man facing his imminent death; does it really matter whether or not the man lives or dies? If the individual had not been there in the first place, then they would not be affected by the decision of others on the scale that they would be if they had had to make the choice themselves. Therefore, in essence, it is really how an individual chooses to respond to the circumstances that they are faced with.

Studies revealed that the hope of life for women in the Unites States is approaching 80 years. Some women will spend 4 decades in their postmenopausal years, and it is important to know that menopause is a different experience for every woman who reaches it. In order to enhance their quality of life, midlife women can maintain social support, reduce stress and anxiety, try to relax and do enjoyable activities.

Menopause is a process that can take years to complete, it is known that its symptoms can begin at the age of 30, and continue beyond the last menstrual period.There may happen that periods to become irregular, but it is important to go to the doctor to rule out conditions like thyroid disease, uterine cancer, or depression, which bring symptoms similar with those of menopause.If there appear troublesome symptoms, the doctor can prescribe medications, including hormone replacement or non-hormonal medications. Also, a good thing to do is to talk with your friends, or seek counseling if the problems that appear in this period become overwhelming, because this will help.A lot of health organizations consider the age of 50 as a reference point, and they recommend screening tests for diseases of later life, including cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Women can follow some advices in order to make the transition through the midlife years easier. They must understand that age has its benefits, and that older women can be fit, active and attractive through midlife and beyond. Now is a good time to become an educated consumer, and if you had no time to keep up with health and medical information, you can do that now.Now is also the perfect time to plan for your financial future, saving for the retirement must become a priority, you can mentor younger women in your professional field, and you can also start traveling, to explore new places and cultures, and also bring an exciting element to your marriage which may have become routine.It can be the time to join a club, to take up a sport, because physical activity does good for your heart, muscles, and bones, and you also have the chance to make new friends. You can refocus your career or you can reduce your work hours and take more time to pursue your other interests.There must be remembered that this period can be a relaxing and enjoyable time, and it is up to you to make it so.

For more resources about menopause or about menopause symptoms please review http://www.menopause-info-guide.com/menopause-symptoms.htm

The symptoms of schizophrenia are classified in two groups: positive and negative symptoms. The positive symptoms refer to those characters which come as a supplementary to the patient’s personality and consist out of disordered thinking and psychotic symptoms. The negative symptoms refer to those characters which disappear due to schizophrenia, like loosing emotion and expression. These negative symptoms are the first to appear in a schizophrenic person.

Schizophrenia makes the affected people not to manifest any emotion any more; they do not enjoy the things that used to give them satisfaction like going out with friends, going swimming, golfing or playing tennis. Because they have a lack of motion and show little face expression they do not have many friends and do not make friends so easily.

They often have problems at school or at work because they can not focus any more, they have a lack of motivation and they process information with difficulty.

Many people who observe these changes in close persons think that this is due to other health problems, to depression or substance abuse and do not think about schizophrenia.

The category of positive symptoms contains hallucinations meaning that the affected person might hear voices, might see things which are not present, or might even smell something that is not there.

Some schizophrenic people might believe that they are sent by God and that they have a special mission which needs to be completed soon; others might think they are the US President and are not easy to convince that this is not true.

These people are confused, they can not answer properly to a question, and they have a strange way of speaking which makes them hardly understood by others. Sometimes they answer questions with one word, like yes or no, and they are not sociable people, avoiding new acquaintances and strangers.

They have a non-organized behavior, they are sometimes very nervous and agitated without a proper reason and they have disorganized body movements like rocking in the chair back and forth for a long time.

They do not take care of themselves any more, they get dirty but they do not take a bath for weeks, they do not wash their clothes and leave their house unclean until it makes that space impossible to live in.

People consider them mean and strange because they have inappropriate behaviors like smiling or laughing at a funeral, in an inappropriate moment or without a specific reason. In some cases, more rarely jerking eye movements can occur.

Schizophrenic symptoms appear depending on the type of schizophrenia a person has. In the case of paranoid schizophrenia, the patient might be constantly afraid due to the fact that a problem with interpreting the reality has occurred. Catatonic schizophrenic people stand in a strange uncomfortable position for a long time; the disorganized schizophrenic patients create a language that nobody understands or even create rhyming words continuously. A more rare form of schizophrenia is the Childhood schizophrenia which causes a lack of emotion, disorganized speech, and hallucinations.

For more information about schizophrenia or even about symptoms of schizophrenia please review this page http://www.schizophrenia-info-center.com/symptoms-of-schizophrenia.htm

A cancer that starts in lymphatic tissue is Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The lymph nodes and related organs that are part of the body’s immune and blood-forming systems are contained to lymphatic tissue. The lymph nodes are small and can be found underneath the skin in the neck, underarm, and groin. They can be founded in other places in the body such as inside the chest, abdomen, and pelvis.

Lymph nodes make and store infection-fighting white blood cells, called lymphocytes that are connected throughout the body by lymph vessels. A colorless, watery fluid (lymphatic fluid) that contains lymphocytes is carried by lymph vessels. Into the blood vessels in the left upper chest is emptied the lymphatic fluid.

The spleen, the bone marrow and the thymus are other components of the lymphatic system. An organ in the left side of the upper abdomen that is composed primarily of mature and immature lymphocytes is the spleen which removes old cells and other debris from the blood. The spongy tissue inside the bones that creates new red and white blood cells including lymphocytes is the bone marrow. A small organ in the chest that is important in developing a special lymphocyte called a T cell is the thymus.

Hodgkin’s disease can start almost anywhere because lymphatic tissue is present in many parts of the body but often starts in lymph nodes in the upper part of the body like chest, neck, or under the arms. A pressure on important structures can be caused by Hodgkin’s disease that enlarges the lymphatic tissue. It can spread through the lymphatic vessels to other lymph nodes. Hodgkin’s disease spreads to nearby lymph node sites in the body. Rarely it gets into the blood vessels and can spread to almost any other site in the body, including the liver and lungs.

Many reasons may cause enlargement of lymph nodes. Enlarged lymph nodes are more commonly a result of the body fighting an infection.

A malignant lymphoma (cancer of lymphatic tissue) is Hodgkin’s disease. There are two kinds of lymphomas: Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. The cancer cells in Hodgkin’s disease are called Reed-Sternberg cells. These cells look different from cells of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and other cancers. It is believed that Reed-Sternberg cells are a type of malignant B lymphocyte. The cells that make antibodies that help fight infections is normal B lymphocytes.

The two main types are classical Hodgkin’s disease (which has several subtypes) and nodular predominant Hodgkin’s disease. The subtypes of classical Hodgkin’s disease are: lymphocyte predominance, nodular sclerosis, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte depletion. In the case of nodular predominant Hodgkin’s disease lymphocyte are predominant.

Because they grow, they may compress, invade, destroy normal tissue and spread to other tissues these types are malignant. Unfortunately a benign (non cancerous) form is not present in Hodgkin’s disease.

For more resources about lymphoma or even about cutaneous t cell lymphoma please review this page http://www.lymphoma-center.com/cutaneous-t-cell-lymphoma.htm

Hepatitis C is a medical condition that shows no symptoms in many of the people that come in contact with the hepatitis C virus. Although there are symptoms which indicate hepatitis C, many doctors may also mistake them for other condition symptoms. Hepatitis C is a condition that can lead to liver diseased and even liver damage.

Some of the symptoms for hepatitis C can be fatigue, nausea, headaches and even memory loss from time to time. There are a lot of cases where people who had those hepatitis symptoms were diagnosed incorrectly because the doctors could not figure out that they actually had a hepatitis C infection. This is a very serious condition that hides its roots well. The main way of the hepatitis c virus spread is through blood. This hepatitis virus can also be passes down from mother to fetus, but these are less common cases of hepatitis C. Because hepatitis C is a silent condition , many people come to suffer from severe liver damage. You can have the hepatitis C virus, but because there are no hepatitis symptoms not even know that. The hepatitis virus has a period of incubation of about 180 days and afterward hepatitis C sets up. The hepatitis virus shows no signs that he is there and slowly starts to damage your liver. Many people realize that they have hepatitis C after they have come to chronic hepatitis stage.

There is no vaccine that can help you prevent the infection with hepatitis C virus. So all one can do to prevent hepatitis C is to avoid all the risk factors. If the hepatitis C virus is contacted, your body will try to fight it. However, the hepatitis virus can mutate and evade your immune system. As many as 80 percent of the people that are infected with the hepatitis C virus will not be able to destroy it completely. There are hepatitis C treatments available, but unfortunately they do not work for all the hepatitis patients. Some people are not able to support the mediation that must be taken in case of infection with the hepatitis C virus. There are also side effects of the hepatitis C treatment that must be taken into consideration. Doctors still search for an effective hepatitis C treatment. The most recent discovery in a hepatitis C treatment is a genetically engineered drug which must be comnined with another drug called ribavirin.

For more resources about hepatitis c symptoms please review http://www.hepatitis-guide.com/hepatitis-c-transmission.htm or even http://www.hepatitis-guide.com/hepatitis-c-treatment.htm

There are so many creative fund raising ideas that you can use to raise money for your favorite organization or group. The size of the fund raising project will really depend on what you need to accomplish financially. This article will expose you to a creative fund raising idea you can use for your next fund raising event.

Take a Step Back To the Wild West

This creative fund raising idea will take a little planning, but it is sure to be a winner if done right. Follow the step below to create a fun and memorable Wild West fund raising event that will surely be unique.

Supplies needed — You will need some nice squirt guns for this creative fund raising idea. You can find some nice squirt guns at your local store. Stay away from the really cheap squirt guns and look at the mid priced ones for this fund raising idea. You will also need some paint, plywood, cans of pop. You might even find a store willing to donate some of the supplies to your cause.

You will need some volunteers to build some props. You will need a saloon with a couple shelves behind it. You will also need some pieces of plywood that are painted to look like old western town buildings. Basically you are trying to create a western town look so be creative.

You will want to advertise your creative fund raising idea with the local businesses in your area and seek some prominent business people to donate their time in exchange for some free advertising.

Event one — You can charge a fee to enter the town and then people have stand offs against each other with the squirt guns. You place a colored piece of paper on each contestant’s chest. The first one to get the others paper wet will win and advance to the next round. A grand prize will go to the top three to five contestants left in the competition.

Event two — In the saloon you will want a prominent business person, favorite teacher or someone with notoriety as the bartender. You can sell sodas, water, and other non-alcoholic beverages with all proceeds going to the group you are raising money for.

Event three — You can also have drink-offs in the saloon. This creative fund raising idea works best with three to five contestants. Each contestant will race against one another trying to drink as many cans of pop as they can in 2 minutes. You could charge an entry fee for each round and offer a prize to the winner of each round. Hopefully you can find someone to donate several cases of pop for this event.

Event four - After you have accumulated some empty pop cans from the drink-off contest you can place some of the empty cans on the shelves in the saloon. The object is to knock the empty pop cans off of the shelves. Each contestant goes individually. You will time them to see who can knock off a can the fastest. Charge an entry fee to participate and give prizes to the top three to five quickest times.

This is a very creative fund raising idea for you to think about for your next event. It can be very profitable and benefit many business people who participate.

For more information on fundraising events and projects for your organization try visiting a website that specializes in providing helpful tips, advice and fundraising resources to include Creative Fund Raising Idea and more.

Having the bad Internet marketing strategies can ultimately ruin your business. There are many mistakes Internet marketers make when they first started out in this industry. Here are some of the bad Internet marketing strategies they used as a mistake in running their own business.

1.The Wrong JV Strategy

When Internet marketers first started out, at some point in time they figured they need help. Help to set up their website, create their own e-book or to sell their product to a large list in order to gain more profit. Let us take the scenario of wanting to sell their own products to someone else’s list. A list is a list of email addresses of the people that has subscribed or opted-in to promotional email newsletters that has information of value. Having a joint venture partner who has a large list sounds good to be true, because the probability of making a huge amount of profit is very high.

However, the mistake that some Internet marketers do is that they promote a product that is contending with their JV’s product rather than complimenting them. For example, if I am your JV partner and I am promoting a copywriting course to my list, but you want me to promote your copywriting course as well that clashes with some of my copywrting training fundamentals, what were you and I thinking?

What we should do is to promote our products that compliment to one another. So, if I am promoting a copywriting course to my list, you can promote a copywrting e-book or software. Thus, wouldn’t you imagine that there would be more credibility in our products, sales would be much more effective and the profit could be easily split?

2.Leaving Your Pay-Per-Click Ad At That

One of the most biggest mistakes Internet marketers make is not testing out their ads for their effectiveness in click through rates and website conversion. How a pay-per-click advertisement works is that for every click your customers clicked on your ad, you will have to pay a few cents. What some Internet marketers do is that they create an advertisement and just leave it for targeted traffic to come to their sites but they do not test out other different ads that have the potential to bring more targeted traffic, but induce less cost.

I like to use Google Adwords because the changes I make in the ad takes place immediately rather than waiting a couple of days at other pay-per-click engines. What I recommend you to do is to change the style and words of your ad at least once in two weeks. At the same time, take note of the traffic and website conversion rate. A website conversion rate simply means the number of your visitors that turn into your customers. Do this internet marketing strategy for three different ads that promote the same product and compare them to one another. The ad that gives you the highest number of traffic and website conversion rate is the ad that you should be using for that product.

3.Not Being Honest In E-mail Marketing

Internet marketers build large email lists to promote their products or to provide them with freebies, newsletters or advice based on what their customers are looking for. However, some Internet marketers are dishonest in the ways of email marketing. They will repurpose or sell their lists to other internet marketers of another niche and their customers will eventually receive emails that did not opt-in for.

This is an act of not respecting customer privacy and you can be labelled as a spammer. What you can do is to find a JV partner of the same niche as you’re in and ask if he could help you promote your product in his list. As a reward, he gets commissions for every product he has sold in his list.

Besides these three bad internet marketing strategies, There are many other strategic mistakes that people do not realise that could harm their business. This is often overlooked because making money is utmost on their minds. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be thinking about making money, I’m saying that you should be making money the smart way. Discover from other internet marketers the mistakes that they have made throughout their Internet marketing journey and learn from it in order to prevent your business from unforseen circumstances.

Jo Han Mok is a #1 bestselling author and a masterful planner in developing successful internet marketing strategies. Find out how he can make you discover the internet millionaire within! Visit his website at http://www.internetmillionairecode.com

Are you a small or medium sized business that is struggling to survive? If so, where is your business located? Each year, millions of small to medium sized business owners experience business debt and end up seeing their dreams fail. The majority of the time, the business concept was right on, but location was the problem. Yes, the location. If you are trying to operate a business, but you are located in an area where your business cannot reach its highest potential, you may end up experiencing problems. However, you don’t have to keep on experiencing those problems. You can seek assistance from a mail forwarding service.

Mail forwarding services are typically run by an individual or a company that offers a number of services to business owners; business owners just like you. With mail forwarding, you are given an alternative address, besides the one where your business is actually located. This mailing address is often the address of the mail forwarding service that you end up subscribing to. Many mail forwarding services are offered in popular cities, such as New York City.

A mail forwarding service sounds great doesn’t it? Although it sounds nice, you may be wondering exactly how it can get you more clients. As previously mentioned, mail forwarding services commonly give you a mailing address in a well-known city, such as New York City. Say you live and operate a business in a small town, would your national or international clients be able to recognize your city name? If not, do you know that many individuals would be concerned about doing business with you, no matter how great your products or services are?

In today’s society many customers are concerned with being scammed and losing their money. That is why they tend to shop only with businesses they are familiar with or businesses that are located in an area that is familiar to them. Although this is not always fair to small or medium sized business owners, it is becoming a fact of life. With a business address such as New York City, you may receive more clients just because of your location. Participating in a well-known and successful mail forwarding service can get you that well-known city address.

As stated above, with a mail forwarding service, your business will be given an alternative business address. This is where your business mail will be sent to. The individual or company in change of your mail forwarding service will receive your mail and then forward it on to you, at your physical business location. What is the point of this? Getting a prestigious address. In business, it is all about customer perception.

If your small or medium sized business isn’t as successful as you had originally anticipated it to be and you live in a relatively small or unheard of city or town, you are urged to look into a mail forwarding service. It might just be the service that could help you turn your business around.

Rob Porter is president of 1-800 We Answer Answering Service, a nationwide provider of virtual office services including Answering Services, Mail Forwarding Services, Voicemail Services , and Fax Services

Recently, Bear Grylls, the survival expert, was lowered into the Florida Everglades from a helicopter along with a knife, watch, water bottle, flint and the clothes on his back. His mission - to survive and get out!

He landed up to his thighs in water and checked around him for signs of alligators. Some of the swamp alligators are huge. Many of us would have climbed right back into the helicopter and flown off at speed in the direction of civilization.

He faced several days of humid weather in a watery land that hosts a million alligators and not a few deadly snakes, bears, scorpions and other hazards. He had to find his own way out to safety. The helicopter had gone.

Any survival story can teach at least three valuable success lessons:

Firstly, it can make us appreciate how easy, safe and comfortable our normal lives are. Once we realize this, most of our tasks will seem comparatively easy. We can do them without watching under the bed for predators who see us as breakfast and without taking time out to hunt down our own food!

Secondly, we can learn that knowledge and skills give us life saving power and that time spent increasing our knowledge and key skills is time well spent.

Thirdly, we can learn ways to keep up our morale when we experience tough and tiring situations.

The title of this account about eating frogs refers to two ways of eating frogs. Small frogs provide much needed protein if you are stranded in a swamp without food. Frogs in the glades are not poisonous and can be eaten with confidence!

Secondly, most people naturally hate the idea of eating frogs so Brian Tracy teaches that we should eat the frog i.e. deal with the task we least want to do first thing in the morning.

Everything else will then seem much easier and we will be inspired by our success in having already dealt with the worst task of the day.

However, some people might prefer to deal with the easier tasks first just to get themselves going. We are all different and need different types of motivation.

Bear Gryll’s first task was obvious. He needed a weapon. He wasted no time in locating a stick that could be used to poke at an alligator’s eyes and nostrils.

It would, at least, give him extra reach to try to keep the alligator at a distance. Safety is a vital priority of any successful nation or individual.

Bear’s next priority was to decide on the direction he should take to get out of the glades before his energy gave out. A key part of survival is to save energy by avoiding going round in circles.

He climbed a tree to get his bearings by tying his shoe laces together and then shinning up a branchless tree using the shoelaces for leverage.

This technique allowed him to use his legs to power himself up the tree. His arms were only used for balance. An important survival and success principle is to make use of all the physical and mental strength you possess.

Another key survival principle is to be prepared before you enter a new situation. You especially need to study the geography of a place and any landmarks or clues that may help you find your way.

In the city, those with weak bladders or heavy drinkers need to check out potential rest rooms or bushes that will provide cover when they just have to relieve themselves!

At the top of the tree, Bear looked for pine trees since they grow on dry land but all he saw were cypress trees and water oaks. That means swamp and more swamp. He had to try another method.

To succeed, you may have to try out several methods before you achieve your goal. Edison’s thousand attempts to create a light bulb is the classic example of this kind of perseverance.

Bear knew that higher ground in the Everglades is inland and that the direction of inland was west. He pointed the hour hand of his watch to the sun knowing that half way between the sun and 12 o’clock is south.

He could work out the direction of west from that. It was essential that he stick to his plan of going west to avoid going round in circles. Sometimes success involves sticking to one plan for at least a few days.

Bear headed off west and tripped over a log which had the sinister shape of a half-submerged alligator. The swamps are scary. You never know what you are treading on. Bear was spooked.

He spotted bubbles and quickly got out of the water onto the trunk of a nearby tree. No point in taking risks.

He made much noise by splashing water and hitting trees with his stick to give warning of his presence to alligators. They are much more likely to attack you if they are surprised and think they have to defend themselves.

He came to a clearing with some deep water in it and a few alligators sunning themselves to keep warm. Bear did not want to risk wading across the deep water so he looked for another way.

He found a cypress that was leaning across the clearing. Bear knew that a cypress tree that can grow in water would be unlikely to break. He climbed up the cypress and then swung across to another tree at the far side and shimmied down to ground level.

It was late and Bear knew that he had to get out of the water before night fall - the main feeding time for alligators.

He found a pop ash tree which had enough limbs which would allow him to construct a base long enough to sleep on at full stretch and wide enough to prevent him rolling out into the water. Vines and other useful materials were all around. This would save him time and energy.

He used the fronds of a cabbage palm to provide bedding. Once the bed was made, fire was Bear’s next priority. Fire would keep predators away and dry his clothes.

He made a mud base on the bed for a fire and dried and checked his feet for trench foot. If your feet are wet for twelve hours or more, the skin starts to flake off and eventually becomes infected and “out here, if you can’t walk, you die.”

Without Bear’s knowledge, lighting a fire would be impossible in such damp surroundings. The power of relevant knowledge is essential for survival and success.

His first night in the swamp was not relaxing. Scary noises were all around as the swamp life came alive. The mosquitoes bit him on his thighs when he removed his trousers to dry them.

In the morning, he needed to drink water. He used his shirt to filter the swamp water and then boiled the water to kill parasites and bacteria. While he waited for the water to boil, he used his water bottle to show him south. He tied it to his stick and watched to see which way it would swing - a shrewd local technique.

The water of the Everglades flows slowly south to the gulf of Mexico. After 30 minutes the bottle had swung round about 2 feet and stayed level. Bear knew his direction again and moved on looking for food.

The dead wood of the swamp is often home to bugs and insects. He found the larvae of some carpenter ants which are four times higher in protein content than beef. They taste sour but are a life saver. A survivor cannot afford to be fussy.

He moved on through cypress tree roots and then a plain of saw grass. Bear’s knowledge again helped him to negotiate these areas safely. Time after time his journey through the swamps showed the power of knowledge and key skills.

Learning useful skills and what you need to know is hugely important for both survival and success.

He now came across an alligator infested river. His knowledge would be more important than ever. For example, he knew that alligators can run at thirty miles an hour over short distances. If an alligator hisses, it could be about to attack. They do not feed at midday.

Bear had to find a safe place to swim the river. In 2006 three women were killed by alligators in one week - one was swimming and two others were dragged in from the water’s edge.

Bear found a narrow part of the river with good visibility all the way around. He waited an hour knowing that a large male alligator could stay underwater for up to 45 minutes.

In hot weather they often lie in deep water to cool down. Bear looked for any ripples or the eyes of the alligator just above water. Survival and success often demand relentless patience.

Bear had waited for an hour. He swam underwater so that he would not be mistaken for a bird or a turtle bobbing on the surface of the water. He kept his knife in his hand.

His heart was thumping as he reached the far side. He walked on to reach pine trees and dry land where alligators would no longer be a threat as they only live near water:

Bear commented that one word sums up the Everglades: “Unforgiving.”

However, food was available. He found a small frog and ate it raw making sure that he killed it with his first bite. Eat whenever you can to survive. He then made a net to catch some minnows and ate those raw as well.

He next found some grapefruit and oranges. This was a sign that the area may have been used by the Seminole Indians who were forced to hide from the US army in the early 19th century.

Bear made a shelter in this dry area. “If it was good enough for the Seminoles, it is good enough for me.” He made a morale boosting fire to keep predators away.

Next morning, he found a turtle that was not protected. He killed it swiftly and cooked it, as the Seminoles do, in its shell. The shell is brittle and cracks when the meat is ready to eat. Bear commented:

“It really does taste quite like chicken. That’s really good fleshy meat. The turtle has given me vital energy and has also given me a psychological boost and so much of survival is about keeping your morale up. Recharged, I am going to keep heading west.”

The dry land seemed safer than the swamp but appearances are deceptive. Bear soon came across a noisy rattlesnake. Such snakes can strike up to half their body length. He kept his eye on it and backed away slowly. You have to be very careful when walking round in thigh deep grass.

Snakes were not the only problem. There were black bears around. Bear came a cross a huge paw print on a tree. I was once chased by an Iranian mountain bear cub when I was a kid so I know how even small bears can inspire fear!

He now came into an area of swamp mud and found a sink hole of the type which can swallow small vehicles. He jumped into a hole to demonstrate how to get out. He showed how, if he struggled in an upright position, he was sucked further in.

He escaped by leaning forward and using his stick held horizontally in both his hands to create more surface area to lean forward on. He still had to work hard and wriggle out. Once on the surface, he monkey crawled away.

Recently, a jogger fell into a sink hole up to his chest and was stuck there for three days. He was found on the fourth day delirious and covered in bug bites.

Bear now came across a fence and a road. He had survived!

In the Everglades, salvation can be found just round the next tree. If you’re lost never give up hope. If you’re failing, never give up. Success could be just round the corner!

Learn the skills you need to succeed and stick to your plans! Eat the frogs if necessary but above all, appreciate how much easier it is to live with appetizing food, clean water, decent shelter and a nice, warm bed readily available!

John Watson is an award winning teacher and 5th degree blackbelt martial arts instructor. He has written several ebooks on motivation and success topics. One of these can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php

You can also find motivational ebooks by authors like Stuart Goldsmith. Check out http://www.motivationtoday.com/the_midas_method.php

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